Pipeline CRM

CRM COMPLIANCE
The Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) Control Room Management (CRM) rule requires pipeline operators to create written procedures for the control room. This is a great opportunity for pipeline operators to go beyond compliance requirements and implement operating best practices that significantly enhance reliability and safety.

Situational awareness (SA) provides controllers with a big picture of the operating condition of the assets for which they are responsible. This typically includes both safety (pressure) and operating (deliverability) parameters. Displays and alarms are engineered to bring clear presentation of abnormal operating conditions so that controllers maintain SA and minimize visual and cognitive load.

Controllers can successfully operate as long as situational awareness is maintained and human factors have been incorporated into the design of the work environment, tools, and procedures. If situational awareness is compromised, meaning the controller is out of the loop, then the controller must return operations to a safe operating condition.

Along with alarm management, HMI, and control center design, we also provide the most efficient and scientific way to measure controller workload to ensure your control center is staffed for normal and abnormal situations. We have done so many of these studies, in most cases we can compare your workload against the workload from other control centers within the same organization. We also show a comparison of the industry average and the over achievers to give you a real good idea of how you compare to others. Imagine having a report from a comprehensive study that shows one controller is dangerously overloaded and two other positions are under loaded. Then a case example that shows you what the workload would be if you consolidated the two positions into one. Being able to visually see the workload score for each controller really helps to ensure you are properly staffed for all situations.

Oh, and don’t underestimate the power and effectiveness of a good shift handover procedure. This is something we take very seriously, we encourage you to take this opportunity to truly put situation awareness to work, see everything, communicate it, validate it, confirm it, and address it, don’t miss anything. Are you checking for fatigue during the shift change?

We recently partnered with Circadian allowing us to provide a fatigue risk management software tool. Risk factor is very important when creating schedules. This tool will calculate the fatigue score and compare it to other workers, allowing management to staff positions with the most alert and ready to work candidates. In a nut shell, this tool provides all three required levels of FRMS control:

Level 1 – COMPLIANCE:
• Determine if a work schedule conforms with “Hours of Service” and “Work-Rest rules” • Specially tailored versions for RP-755, and other industry and government FRMS standards and “Hours of Work rules” • Asses scheduling alternatives (e.g., who’s available for OT? Is that shift swap OK?)•

Level 2 – RISK:
• Instantly determine if a work schedule is creating excessive and costly fatigue risk • Utilizes Circadian’s scientifically-validated CAS-5 fatigue modeling platform to provide an objective Fatigue Risk Score • With a fatigue score your schedulers can see not only who could work…but who should work

Level 3 – INVESTIGATION:
• Allows managers to determine if employee fatigue contributed to the causation of an accident/incident or workplace error • Scientifically-validated tool for incident and accident investigation work • Store, analyze and benchmark all your fatigue risk data in a secure database • Capture the true cost and impact fatigue is having on your operation